Geriatric Depression Scale Calculator (GDS-15)
The Geriatric Depression Scale short form asks 15 yes/no questions about the past week. Each answer matching the scale's depressive direction earns one point. A total above 5 suggests depression and calls for a follow-up interview; above 10 is almost always depression. It is a screening tool, not a diagnosis.
Feeling low, flat or disconnected is worth noticing. This calculator walks you through the 15-item short form of the Geriatric Depression Scale, a widely used screening questionnaire for depression in older adults, and adds up your score for you. Answer each question about how you have felt over the past week, with a simple Yes or No. You will get a total out of 15 and a plain-language reading of what it suggests. It is a screening tool, not a diagnosis, and it works best as a starting point for a conversation with a doctor or other health professional.
This calculator is a screening tool for educational purposes. It is not a diagnosis and does not replace an evaluation by a doctor or mental health professional. If your score is above 5, or you are worried about how you feel, talk to a health professional. If you or someone you know is in crisis in the US, call or text 988.
How the Geriatric Depression Scale works
The Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) was developed by Dr. Jerome Yesavage at Stanford as a quick way to screen older adults for depression. Instead of rating each symptom on a sliding scale, you answer Yes or No. The version in this calculator is the 15-item short form, and a 30-item long form also exists.
Every question refers to the past week, not to how you usually are or how you felt years ago. That framing matters, because a rough few days after bad news should not be mistaken for a lasting pattern, and the opposite is also true.
Ten of the fifteen questions earn a point when you answer Yes. The other five, questions 1, 5, 7, 11 and 13, earn a point when you answer No, because they are worded positively, such as feeling basically satisfied with your life or full of energy. You do not need to work out which is which. The calculator applies the right direction to each answer and adds up the total.
The original scale is in the public domain, since it was partly the result of federal support, so the wording here follows the published questions. We ask for all 15 answers before showing a result. Skipping questions would make the total less reliable, so we do not estimate missing items.
What your score means
Your total runs from 0 to 15, and each point marks an answer that leans toward depression. The scale's authors give two reference points. A score above 5 is suggestive of depression and should prompt a follow-up interview. A score above 10 is almost always depression.
Read those cutoffs as signposts, not verdicts. Studies of the scale have reported different sensitivities and specificities, which means a single total cannot tell the whole story.
A score of 5 or below does not guarantee that everything is fine. If you feel persistently down, have lost interest in things you used to enjoy, or others around you have noticed a change, mention it to a clinician regardless of your total.
A score above 5 is a reason to book an appointment and to bring this result along. It is nothing to be embarrassed about, and it is not a personal failing.
What this screening does not cover
The GDS looks at mood-related thoughts and feelings. It is not a full mental health assessment, and it does not replace a clinical interview. In particular, it does not assess suicidality. If you or someone you care about is in crisis in the US, call or text 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, or call emergency services if there is immediate danger.
If you are also concerned about strength, balance or mobility, our frailty scale calculator can help you think through the physical side.
If your appetite has changed, our elderly nutrition risk calculator is a useful second check.
You can retake the questionnaire later, for example after a few weeks, to see whether your answers shift. Keep the results to share with whoever is looking after your health.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Geriatric Depression Scale?
The Geriatric Depression Scale is a yes/no questionnaire created by Dr. Jerome Yesavage at Stanford to screen older adults for depression. This calculator uses the 15-item short form. A 30-item long form also exists. It flags possible depression for follow-up but does not diagnose it.
What score on the GDS-15 suggests depression?
A score above 5 is suggestive of depression and should prompt a follow-up interview, according to the scale's authors. Scores above 10 are almost always depression. These are guideposts, not a diagnosis, and a clinician needs to interpret your result alongside your health history.
Why do some questions score a point for No?
Five questions (1, 5, 7, 11 and 13) are worded positively, such as feeling satisfied with your life or full of energy. A No answer to those counts toward the total, while the other ten score on Yes. The calculator applies this automatically, so you only need to answer honestly.
Can I skip a question?
No. This calculator needs all 15 answers before it shows a result, and it does not estimate missing items. If a question feels hard to answer, pick the option that best fits the past week. If none fits, a clinician can help you work through it in person.
What should I do if my score is high or I feel unsafe?
Contact your doctor or another health professional soon and share your result. If you are in crisis or thinking about harming yourself, call or text 988 in the US at any time, or call emergency services if you are in immediate danger. You do not have to wait for an appointment.